Access to Health and Social Services in Official Languages - CAN/HSO 11012:2018 (E)

Preface

This is the first edition of HSO 11012:2018 (E), Access to Health and Social Services in Official Languages. This standard will be undergoing a periodic maintenance. HSO will review and publish this standard on a schedule not to exceed five years from the date of publication. It is intended to align with other HSO service provider standards that apply to health and social services organizations offering services in both official languages, English and French.

The standards, criteria, and guidelines are grouped into five sections based on these functions:

• Establishing the Active Offer of Services
• Clinical Research
• Governance and Leadership
• Workforce
• Quality Assurance

The standard applies, on a voluntary basis, to health and social service organizations across Canada. It is not intended to contravene existing provincial, territorial, or national law. The intent is to enhance and promote access to health and social services in both official languages.

1  Scope

1.1  Purpose

This standard specifies the requirements for health and social service organizations to promote access to safe health and social services in the patient's preferred or required language. The standard provides:

• Health and social service organizations with guidance on how to ensure quality and safety within their unique organizational and language contexts;
• Policymakers with a blueprint for the requirements to recognize health and social service organizations that offer quality health and social service to the official language communities in their jurisdictions; and,
• External assessment bodies with measurable requirements to include in assessment programs of health and social service organizations that offer services to Canada’s official language communities.

The standard is not intended to be used alone, but in conjunction with other HSO standards that apply to health and social service organizations providing health and social services to English-speaking communities in Québec, and French-speaking communities outside of Québec.

1.2  Applicability

This standard applies to health and social service organizations providing health and social services in Canada’s official languages, English and French.

Acknowledgement

This Standard was commissioned by Société Santé en français and was supported by the Government of Canada (Health Canada).

Société Santé en français is a Canadian leader who, in close collaboration with the Santé en français networks in each province and territory, provides better access to quality French-language health and social services programs and services. Such efforts improve the state of health and social services of all Francophone and Acadian people living in official language communities.

Société Santé en français

223, Main St., Office L396

Ottawa, Ontario K1S 1C4

Canada